7/9/06 CC went into labor Sunday
and had 6 pups with no problems and was doing fine - I felt she still likely had
a pup or two left and knew we would be heading into Dr. E's as soon as he got in
if she had not delivered them by open of the day...when I placed the pups to
nurse she felt extremely hot and I made a call letting the vet know we needed to
come NOW and likely it was not a good scenario. Dr. E. looked her over, she was
still running a temp and wanting to avoid surgery gave her a shot of Oxytocin,
once, twice, and it produced no results and went in and did a c-section and
found two dead, like not recent dead, pups. ICK! She spent the afternoon
there and they gave her fluids, antibiotics, and pain meds and I took care of
the pups at a friends house near the vet. We all headed for home and that was
pretty much it for me ,besides handing CC her meds.
CC is an OUTSTANDING mama. I have
not been needed or wanted - she does not care for my interfering and has this
whole puppy stuff down to an art form - her first time around the block - I wish
I had done so well!!
The pups are a week old and are fat
and quite content. I have gotten a few pics but to be honest mama is not so
thrilled with me and my flash. She will tolerate me for a bit ,then curls around
her pups - I take advantage of that of course and lean over and take a shot of
them all snuggled up so close and sweet - and then she gives me one last
disgusted look and lays her head across them so I can't see them! She is a sassy
thing herself!
I am working a short week this week
due to the Reliant Show here in Houston so I hope to get some more puppy shots.
8/25/06 The pups are 7 weeks old! I
have had to do very little to nothing beyond normal maintenance -
worming,weaning,water! Wow what a litter! I am blessed in I feel like I got
exactly what I wanted as far as my goals in breeding this litter. This litter is
very outgoing and curious. They are all very self assured and independent. They
are also very sweet and loving, like all my Dane pups! They are having fun
hanging out with mom and grandma,Reeda. Jez has fun letting them climb on her
and Voca is just not sure what these little guys are, but one thing for sure
they don't run anywhere near fast enough to play with her!
Litter "G"
Ben x Hannah
born 4/19/06
4/22/06 As many of you know that
follow this diary, having pups is not quite what it is cracked up to be and
there is always something new to learn. This litter, of course, is no different.
Hannah's last litter was a long tedious process and she had her pups right on
time, so I am rocking along -not ready-thinking I have a couple of days and I
look out in my yard, and Hannah is sitting in the sand pile, looking odd. She
was out to potty after dinner and since she is so picky pregnant I just never
put two and two together that it was getting close to time.
Ok, so I am looking out the window,
can't quite put my finger on it what is wrong, I head out to the sand pile
- we perpetually have a sand pile for projects and the dogs love them! As
I get closer Hannah is sitting there and odd is the only word that fits, then I
hear something and I think - holy *^$t and I drop to my knees and start looking
- and I find a pup ,covered in sand and protesting loudly - I take off at a run
for the house hollering the whole way, btw it is about 10pm - 'Puppy
alert! Puppy alert, wake up I NEED HELP!!' the boys come running and they head
outside and find two more pups in the sand, TG, all vigorously protesting , I am
cleaning and my mind is racing 90-to nothing - call my oldest son on the phone -
told him to come home NOW! (he no longer lives at home but since when does that
stop me ??!!) that I have pups and we need him! By now, John is in the midst of
things and we are all scurrying to gather stuff and get the whelping box
together and all my supplies....I know shame on me for not getting it together,
being a procrastinator...I honestly have no excuse other my head is just not on
right yet after my dad...so anyhow, we get it together have her in her room and
we get another pup! He is struggling but I do everything I can and get him going
and nursing. After that I delivered another that wasn't alive, couldn't get it
going, did all the same stuff, rubbing briskly, suctioning, CPR, swinging -you
name it, nada - and it continued like that for several pups, I am completely
freaked out - these are perfectly fine, beautiful pups that are for no reason
that I can see, dead. The suddenly I have a live one, vigorous, noisy and ready
to rock and roll, TG! By now I have 5 live and 5 dead pups and I am totally
exhausted - Hannah has done great delivered them all in good time - 10 hrs and I
think surely we are done - she HAS to be more tired than me?? Nope another hour
goes by and two more dead pups...I palpate her and think is this a pup or an
organ??and then I feel a feathering of movement and I KNOW it another pup! So
off we go to the vet to see for sure how many we have left because I never would
have imagined she had TWELVE-pups in there in the first place!! They see two
possibly THREE more pups and I want to just sit and cry at the possibility of
more dead pups, but I know I felt that one move!! So they give her a pit shot, a
shot of dexamethasone and another of antibiotics - I am not an expert at these
and have never given them by myself only with my vet - and off we go home - get
out of the car and she has another pup-dead, get her to the whelping box and I
run to potty myself and come back to miracle of miracles a LIVE pup!! about 30
minutes later the last one is born and the only way I can describe it without
grossing me and you completely out is to say it was REALLY dead. So we have 6
live babies and 9 not, I called Dr Elmer and told him what happened and he felt
that last puppy likely poisoned that whole horn he was in and that is what
happened to all those babies, that & being there was so many they were pretty
well squashed and stuff like that happens. All I know is it was very
frustrating, I had to keep focused on my live pups that mama was ok and good and
that as bad as it was it could have been much worse! This finally was a litter
that I was home for and whelped completely on my own - wow -now I miss being at
work and having John and the boys telling me what happened when the litter was
whelped!
So we have 4 boys,2 girls, mama is
good and they are all nursing vigorously and doing well! Thank God for good
things and those are definitely good things! I will post the newborn pics later!
I think we ought to have three pups
with Sand names - like Mr. Sandman and the last three with miracle names -
Milagro comes to mind...send in some suggestions!
11/19/06 The pups are 4 weeks and
time has flown! They are all growing well and filling out nicely. The last few
days they have started to really play with one another and even bark when they
hear a strange noise. I had a little guy that I gave an extra helping hand and
he has come along just beautifully - he is no longer my 'little' though I will
likely call him that until he heads out to his new home.
All the pups are spoken for and
most will remain right here in Texas which is really exciting to me, gives me
opportunities to see them as they grow.
Litter "F"
Ben x Reeda
due 1/1/06
11/20/05 Life has been busy, as
always, at my house, it seems like an ongoing soap opera! Good news, John is so
much better, recovering well - I am considering doing a page here to
document our medical adventures! Nick, my oldest son, is going to be a DADDY!!
Yes, indeed ,that makes me a GRANDMA!! So come summer we will be in full
throttle excitement! Amber is our newest family member and brings with her our
first grandbaby, Dylan 2yo! We are all very excited and happy and have fallen in
love with the idea of having little ones around the house again! I do believe
Dylan will be a doggy boy - he loves all the dogs, esp. the Wheatens!
Onto our puppies! Reeda and Ben
were bred and we are hopeful to be expecting four-legged babies New Year's Eve! I
had thought to run with the alphabet thing on names but I think we can have fun
with songs with NEW in it - so send suggestions!
Reeda has slowed a bit, she is
normally a very active girl, aggravating Ben and CC at every turn and running
amok. Now she is laying around longer in the am, looking rather peaked -
remember morning sickness?? I do,YUK! So we give her lots of love & move slowly.
I keep thinking I should give her some crackers in the morning...it helped me!
I plan on getting an x-ray later in
the pregnancy & pics up of her asap!
Reeda & Ben 12/9/05
12/15/05 Took Reeda in for an x-ray
and we were too early! My understanding was that puppy bones were ossified
enough to be seen on xray after 45 days, so we went in 12 days before her due
date and though we could see some outlines they were not ossified enough for us
to see and be able to count reliably - what a drag! So we go back next Friday -
nothing like getting everything done right before Christmas. She weighed in at
151#. For a comparison, she weighed 117 in March and honestly I think she had
gained at least 5 pounds or so between there and October!
John is re-doing the whelping box
and getting everything ready. I have all my boxes in the attic with my supplies
and I think I am going to try a waterbed heater in the bottom of my whelping box
instead of the LectroKennel ones I bought last year.
Now off to wrap presents!
12/23/05 Back to the vet
to try for a clearer Xray. We were able to count at least nine pups but are not
discounting that there may be more. She has gained 20# in the last week, for a
grand total of 171#!
12/29/05 We made it through
Christmas and a wonderful time was had by all! Reeda's temp has gone up and down
but has not hit and stayed down. I am due back to work Friday night and of
course it looks like this is going to be ANOTHER litter delivered by the guys!
What a drag! I have all the supplies ready to go, and had truly thought I was
going make it this time ,but I think I am just doomed to hear about it all
second hand! TG John and Devon are such excellent midwives!
I have a bit more than 24 hours, but
Reeda ate a good dinner and her temp is 100.4 so it does not look like puppies
tonight.
1/2/05 It is always an adventure
having puppies at our house!! Reeda had 3 pups at home and then stopped! John
hauled her in to the vet and she was worried being the only vet there that she
could not handle it. So we started calling around and not many vets were open,
luckily Dr. Elmer was!! So off John went with Nick, Cheyne and Reeda!! God is
good! Reeda has 8 pups, she had a total of 11 and she and the pups are doing
well. I am still @ work but will be home this evening. It has been a long day
for us all. I can only thank God for so many good things -my husband and sons
being so patient and good delivering pups and Dr. Elmer for just being a GREAT
doctor, and my vet Dr Campbell for being willing to say that she simply could
not do it. It is so much better for us all to know what we are dealing with and
what we are capable of handling, so that we can all work together as a team. I
am truly blessed with an outstanding team! Pics to come soon!
1/9/06 The puppies have grown so! They have
filled out and are very active, a wiggling handful to hold on to! They are so
much fun to simply sit and watch. The weather has been outstanding -low 80's
during the day,so I have been running around in flip flops and when I sit in the
whelping box the pups all attack my toes! Who would have thought my toes were
shaped just so?? The pups all wiggle about, I had one up my pant leg and 3 others
sucking on my toes all at the same time. Where is my camera when these things
happen??
This week has been a challenge, when is not
for me? We had a pup with an eye infection, and another that seemed to be
fading. So we started antibiotics and I really started watching the puppy that I
feared was fading. Luckily waking up around the clock, and doctoring these guys
paid off and they are all thriving and doing well. I am truly a novice breeder
with this being my fourth Dane litter, every litter is a major learning
experience. All I can say is I am for sure that I can save a new puppy, I can
get a pup with a minor cleft palate big enough to get it fixed, I can recognize
a fading puppy and from time to time I get lucky save a pup. I have lost pups,
some due to no fault of mine, I have also lost pups when I felt it was my fault,
when I should have been watching closer, when I should have gotten some naps so
I was more on top of things. This not an easy thing. Certainly, if you have read
of my puppy adventures you realize having puppies is not so easy, but you know,
I have found this to be really rewarding, it satisfies something in me seeing my
babies growing up and becoming such a big part of their new families lives! I
have waited for years and I gotta say I am happy!
2/5/06 The puppies are like little dogs
now - they are running and playing and starting to get into trouble. They are
eating puppy gruel & getting rather independant.
2/11/06 The babies are simply wild! In a few
days they have gone from a bit unsure about being outdoors to running amok - up
and down the steps, across the porch and over the dog beds and of course they
are all over the Corgis and Mom is a great place to climb too! The little fawn
girl, Paris, will be living in Houston with her new mom and dad and they came
for a visit and were simply amazed at how they had all grown and what a self
confidant little thing she grown into! The pups love to play tug, anything they
can wrap their mouths around is great to chew on, they LOVE being comfy and the
dog beds are just the best thing ever!! Only a bit longer and March will be here
and they will be heading home. I am enjoying every day!
3/30/06 Everyone has gone home and are doing
great. I am so very pleased with each and every home! We have babies that will
hopefully one day grow up to do therapy, possibly tracking and most definitely
the whole lot will be expert sofa spuds!
Corgi's
Litter "E"
Pepper x Gunner
born 4/18/05
First off, sorry I am not keeping
up very well . . . family issues have kept me busy, I think we have
life by the horns now, lol and maybe, just maybe I can keep up!
I was sure Pepper did not take and
once again John, the midwife, was certain long before me! Pepper took off and
grew to be incredibly big - 32#, we saw 6 possibly 7 pups and went ahead to
allow her to have the pups on her own. Of course, that did not happen and we
ended up at the doggy ER with wonderful Dr Klein and had a HUGE litter of NINE
puppies!
Pepper came home goofy and sore and
no milk and absolutely clueless about those wiggly things in her bed! She would
have NOTHING to do with them. They would come close to her and she would jump
away. I would take her and lay her on the sofa and put the pups to her and hold
her down so they could nurse and still she was not going to have anything to do
with them! Finally, thank God, one wiggled across her nose and she licked it,
then she went to town and cleaned all the pups from head to toe until they were
sopping wet! She has been a wonderful mama since!
Having 9 pups is an incredible
amount of work for both mama and me, unfortunately we lost a few in the first
days, mainly the little ones and we ended up with only one really tiny guy that
needed extra supplementation and the rest did good with just mama.
They are now 1 month, I started
weaning them this week, they are at work with me while Mom vacations at home
without them! They are pottying outside,-sometimes inside if I am not fast
enough, starting to explore all over and playing with the toys in their pen and
that I have scattered about!
6/14/05 I have had one puppy that I
have had to supplement quite a bit initially. He was quite a bit smaller and is
still small though he is quickly catching up. I gave him a big name to grow
into, Snufulupagous, I probably spelled that wrong, but we call him Snuffy for
short!! Snuffy is a wonderful little puppy, cute as a bug of course and twice as
sweet! What has amazed me is how he enjoys everything. We struggled so to just
get him this far and now he seems to take in everything and just loves it! We go
outside and he stretches out in the grass and sniffs the breeze, he watches the
flowers spiral down out of the crepe myrtle trees and he lays in my hands and
just seems to smile! I cannot help but laugh when I watch him and it has also
made me stop and watch to figure out what he is watching so intently. Snuffy has
made me slow down and remember how good the little things are. What a wonderful
gift he is! I have been so busy for so long that there are times that I am just
'doing' and not really a part of what is going on and not seeing the little
blessings going on all the time around me! Having puppies is always great
,watching them explore the world and how things work but Snuffy has taken it all
a step further and for that I am eternally grateful. I love his little siblings
and the silly things they get into all the time as well, I love watching the one
puppy that has decided he is a water dog and is always looking for and finding a
water bowl he can fit into so he can lay there and get cool! The little boy that
rests so calmly and kisses on me so sweet! These Corgis are a joyful lot and
thank goodness because the experiences of these guys being born and getting them
to this point is a real nightmare at times!
Our first puppy is leaving next
week. They will be two months next week. How time has flown!
Snuffy
@ 2 mon and @3.5mon with his new mommy Laura!
"D" Litter
Pregnancy
Hannah x Ben
born 1/30/05
Hannah appears to be growing
larger, she is certainly very lovey-dovey! Though she is not a picky eater she
is not a really big eater and her appetite has increased somewhat.. I am
planning on making some whole milk yogert for her to add to her meals. I have
also been adding raw liver. I plan to take her in for an Xray the week before to
see how many puppies we can expect!
We have xrayed and have seen 7
possibly 8 pups.
1/28 Hannah's temp has
dropped to 98.4 which means somewhere in the next 24 hours we will have puppies.
I have my hot box ready - a rubbermaid box with a heating pad and a water bottle
to warm in the microwave for car rides if need be. I also have countless towels
,whelping pads for the whelping box, and all the rest of my 'puppy gear' ready
in my kitchen by the whelping box.. We have been making Hannah sleep in the
kitchen and have placed her dog bed in the box so she will sleep in there. She
is mad and does not want to stay in the kitchen without us,esp since she is used
to hanging out on the sofa and sleeping upstairs in our room at night!
Puppies
1/30 We are back home from the ER,
Hannah had 7 pups at home and we went in for the last one since he was slow
getting here. Despite fluids, a pit shot, & several walks the puppy still
did not deliver so they went to prep her for a c-section ( an estimated 1300 -
1600.00 with a 1300.00 deposit!) and when they put her on the scale that raises
up and down and raised it, it frightened her and she pushed the last pup out ,
unfortunately he was not alive. I am glad Hannah did not have to go through
surgery. I am exhausted, my entire body aches, I have not slept in two nites but
to doze on the dog bed beside Hannah while she rests in the whelping box.! I had
two huge cups of coffee in anticipation of surgery and now I feel sick! John has
been gone to the Mayo Clinic and comes home in the middle of the delivery, TG, I am so glad he is
home.
1/31 Hannah is completely wore out.
She will nurse the pups but has shown no maternal interest in the pups at all,
So we are taking care of all the puppy potty duties. I am horribly disappointed
- I know from talking to breeders that bad mamas make bad mamas and I so hoped
that Hannah would help me set my foundation female line. I pray at night that
she will get past the birth experience and after some rest come around. The
puppies are doing well and are absolutely beautiful, overall they are exactly
what I had hoped for . I cannot wait to watch them grow! It is time for me to go
back to work, I am leaving John and the boys in charge of everything.
2/1 John has called, he was
checking on Hannah around the clock through the night and she laid on two pups
and neither made it. I am devastated.
2/3 The puppies have had their dew
claws removed, yesterday. We lost another puppy,Hannah must've laid on him as
well, he passed a blood clot in his stools, John & Cheyne worked tirelessly with
him for the last 24 hours, I can only sit and cry. Hannah is still not paying
any attention to the pups and has no interest in eating, I am forcing fluids on
her to keep her from dehydrating. We are supplementing Hannah's milk with
feedings in between her meals. We are also cleaning the pups around the clock
since Hannah has absolutely no interest. Not much of anything about this litter
has been uneventful, makes me wonder what made me think that I wanted to breed
dogs. . .
2/4 Hannah has a temperature this
am, her last rear teat is horribly swollen and feels like a rock! Back to the
vet. Hannah is given antibiotics, she has mastitis.
2/5 Temp is still up, increased
antibiotics per Dr's orders. Hannah is still very picky about eating, she will
take some chicken broth and some puppy formula.
2/6 Temp is down!! She is eating
small meals and drinking water on her own, she is acting much
spunkier, thank goodness!! The pups are thriving and growing, wriggly, twitchy
little things. They are so cute. Hannah will lay and nurse them, look at them
curiously when they make noise but still no cleaning, no real attention...I do
not think she will get the mother of the year award!
2/9 Hannah is feeling much
improved, her appetite is increasing and she just looks like she feels better!
The pups are growing like little
weeds, the littles are quickly catching up with their larger littermates. We are
still supplementing Hannah's milk and the boys and I feed them several times a
day as well as potty them! Hannah got pooped on, served her right, I thought, but
she looked at it on her front leg, looked up at me and then down at the pup and
her leg - totally disgusted - needless to say she would not even clean that up
off her own leg!! She obviously feels that is below her! Luckily she is a sweet
girl and we know she was a great Auntie so maybe she will have more fun with the
pups when they are a bit bigger?
2/13 I am working and the boys
and John have been doing puppy duty. I was informed this morning that the
puppies have learned how to escape from the whelping box! Some have their eyes
almost completely open, so where they are going and how they know which way they
want to go I have no idea! In the next week they will really be changing and
getting some personality! I can't wait!!
3/6/05 I have been so busy!! The
pups are on their second day of absolutely NO mom! They and Hannah are in
complete withdrawal! They have been eating a couple of meals of food working up
to 4 meals a day and only one meal of mom, all leading to this!! Yesterday was
their first trip to the front yard. It was all a great adventure. They ran
through the flower beds, followed the cat, climbed over and under everything
they could and then fell asleep under the lilies! Today I saw the first real 'Zoomies'!
Two of the pups, one boy, one girl took off running through the puppy house
-running circles as fast as they could! It was hysterical! They are much better
coordinated but they still lose their footing from time to time! They are very
silly. They are also really enjoying just sitting in our laps letting us love on
them and cuddle them close. I got a couple of kisses from the boy I call 'Little
Man,' and they all love to just sit beside me! CC thinks they are very curious,
They like her too and try to pull on her lips when she hangs over the side of
the whelping box! They like to Corgis too!
They are also playing with their
toys more, getting a squeak out of the toys with squeakers, chewing on the
hooves and chasing the ball - but the best toy is of course the cheapest - the
big cap to the laundry detergent!It is easy to pick up, rolls just great and
of course it didn't cost a thing!! I have to remember to take them an empty
plastic soda bottle!!
4/1/05 'Little Man' is now
Apollo and he headed off into the wild blue yonder on Continental to Florida to
his new mommy and daddy while his siblings stayed home and got cropped! The
second boy is off to Idaho 4/5/05, The girls, Sienna is going to live in
Nebraska and Bella will be right here in Pearland!!
Bella
Sienna
Apollo
"B" Litter
Pregnancy
Gunney x Pixie
whelped
1/14/04, 1 female
Pixie had an
easy time of being pregnant until the last two weeks, and for all of us that
have been pregnant I know we can all relate!! The last two weeks she just got
huge. There was no more prancing, jumping or even walking down the stairs, she
was just so big. We ultrasounded the week before she was due and saw 6 possibly
7 pups. No Wonder she was so big!! She gained 9 pounds and considering she
weighed about 21 pounds to start with that is a lot of weight!
I am using a
2'x3' puppy pen for a whelping box, so I have that set up in my kitchen, have
Nancy's (Pixie's breeder) puppy liners all ready and my supplies beside the box
ready to go.
Puppies
Pixie went
into labor about 7am,with her water breaking, though I did not see active
contractions for about an hour. At 9am she was having regular contractions but I
was not feeling anything presenting. We knew that she may not be able to deliver
the pups herself depending on the size if the pups ,so I was very vigilant about
watching her closely. About 9:40 I noticed that her discharge changed from clear
mucus to a bright red and immediately called my vet and loaded her up and headed
over there. She ended up having a c-section and though we had 6 pups only one
female made it. What a disappointment! I can only say I was so very pleased that
we had at least the one puppy. Pixie lost her only pup from her first litter and
was horribly depressed and I couldn't bear to put her through that again.
Week 1 : I am
working of course, and Pixie appears to not have much milk. Little Miss is a bit
lethargic and starting to dehydrate. Following Nancy's instructions I make
formula and get all the supplies together for John to start supplementing the
pup. She loves it! Can't get enough, she fusses and wiggles and makes all kinds
of noise if John doesn't get her milk fast enough, when I told him to feed her
slower. He has it all down to an art feeding Little Miss.
Week 2 :
Pixie's milk is coming in and she is feeding the pup and John is only
supplementing a few feedings a day. When you pick up the puppy and take her to
John the moment he starts talking she starts smacking her lips. It is
hysterical. She is a little red and white with makeup all around her eyes, which
are still squeezed shut and barely fills out the palm of my hand. Finally she
opens her eyes!
Week 3 : She
is filling out all over, now she is like a little snowman dog - little round
body,l ittle round head and tee-tiny legs and feet. Sometimes she rolls on her
back and gets stuck and has to wiggle about to get right side up. She is
starting to really walk and look around. She still smacks her lips when ever you
pick her up and she is even more cute if that is at all possible - which it must
be because I just can't get enough of her. I am just sorry she doesn't have any
littermates to play with. I have seen her raise her paws like she wants to play
with her mama and then just do a dive and grab on for a bite to eat. So either
she is really silly or just a little piggy?!
Week 4 :
Well we are in love! Belle, that is her name now, is eating real food now. I
started her on meat minces from Bones2Go
with goats milk. She loves it! She still wants to eat from mama, but this
week her teeth went from nubbies to needles and Pixie is pretty ready to be done
with the mommy buisiness! Belle has gotten to play with everyone that will stop
and play with her, size means nothing to her! They all think she is just wonderful and are ever so careful
with her. She is not so careful with them though! She wants to grab and bite and
gnaw-everything! She tries to shake her head when she grabs things and tosses
herself over on her back and sometimes has a hard time righting herself! It is
too funny. I feel bad that she is an only puppy with no one but all of us to
play with and no one but mama to cuddle with. She lives in the kitchen -where
all the action happens at our house, so I know she gets loads of attention and
soon the Dane pups with be able to play with her! That should be a real hoot!
Week 5 : Belle
is now eating on her own full time, she will grab a mommy snack when the
opportunity presents itself but mommy is not very tolerant and walks away very
quickly!! Belle is getting very vocal, she is up, she wants out, she is HUNNGY
-NOW!!! She warbles like the little gremlin she looks like and of course we go
get her and cuddle and kiss her and turn her loose on the house. Feet and ears
are her favorites, our feet and the dogs ears in particular!! Belle also got her
first ever bone this week, a pork neck bone. She looked at it, sniffed it,
licked it and then dove in and started tearing at the meat! She completely wore
herself out cleaning the meat off and slept hard for an hour or better! She is
also pottying outside now like a big girl. She loves the cats and Ozzie likes to
rub against her and just purrs, she of course just wants to bite him!
Week 6 : Baby,
Belle, Butterball we call her all sorts of things, but one fact for sure is :
She is the CUTEST PUPPY - EVER!! I believe that, absolutely. She is a bit rough
on the Dane pups yet and they aren't coordinated enough to fend for themselves
she is so rough. The Baby plays with Pepper and Gunney and they play full force
with her and she gives back as good as she gets! She is silly and just loads of
fun. She has eaten her first chicken backs and did quite well chewing
everything up very well. She really got into all that chewing. I have a hard
time imagining her gone ,but I also know she is going to make one family very,
very happy. She is a special baby-girl and I know will grow into a great little
dog.
Week 7 : Took
Baby to her mama & daddy's breeder, Nancy, Tiffany Corgis and it was determined
she is a fluff, or a long haired Corgi - not to be shown or bred. So
she'll stay here in Texas with a family nearby rather than go to Alaska to be a
show-girl! She is now pottying regularly outside, not wanting to dirty her
sleeping quarters and plays full force with her parents and Pepper. She is
getting more and more fluffy looking as she is getting older & is really so very
pretty. She is going home to her new family on her 8 week b-day so she can go on
vacation with them and have lots of one on one time with her new family! Oh! Her
name will now be Fergie!
Pregnancy
"C" litter
Benicio x
Reeda
whelped
1/30/04, 6males, 4 females
Reeda is very
active, she never slowed down until the last week of her pregnancy. At the vet
she has gained 35 pounds and is positively ponderous! We have 10 possibly 11
pups and all is well. The last few days before her date Reeda seems to be taking
it easier and resting much more than ever before. Her ankles are swollen and her
toes are really fat too!
Puppies
Of course pups
are due when I am supposed to be at work, Super Bowl Sunday! I am peeved,I miss
everything! Friday 1/30 ,Reeda is acting weird. She eats her breakfast and
upchucks it a few minutes later. Reeda never does that! and yuck what a mess!! I
figured we had time so I went shopping and on my way home John calls tells me to
hurry, Reeda is having pups, already had one and he doesn't think it is alive.
Turns out John let Reeda out of the whelping room and went into the other kennel
and Dixie our adopted/camping Lab saved the day by alerting John that something
was wrong. Reeda was clueless what to do with the pup and so John found the pup
still in the sack. While I was driving home, he was doing puppy CPR and the
puppy came around just fine. An hour later puppy #2 comes along ,a brindle - did
I mention the first was a fawn male? Two and 1/2 hours later puppy #3 comes.
Then nothing and of course my shift is getting closer and closer!! Finally I
load up my stuff for work, grab the work dogs for the weekend and head out. John
and Dev get the stationwagon ready to the doggy ER. By the time I get to work(25
min) they are all organized. I called ahead and told the ER what to expect and
off they went mom and puppies. Long story short, Reeda had a c-section, had a
pup blocking the exit and nobody could get by. She spent the night there and we
had 10 pups!
Week 1 : Reeda
is being a wonderful mommy, very attentive and patient. The pups are all very
vigorous and nursing strongly. The brindles all appear very lightly marked, the
fawn range from light to a darker mouse-y color. Discovered one of the brindle
males is actually a fawn!! They are really cute, high dark masks and pretty
heads. These pups will be interesting to watch mature.
Week 2 : The
pups are growing like weeds. They are cute as bugs and scooting all over. They
have just opened their eyes and are now staggering all over like little drunken
sailors. The puppies are so shiny ,like little seals. The dark masks are all the
way up to their eyes and the heads appear to be just lovely. Friday when I get
home I will start them on the mince mixes and give Reeda a bit of a break.
Week 3 : The
puppies are starting to eat real food, meat minces and goats milk ,just like
Belle. The minces are from Bones2Go
, of course and make life so much easier, all I have to do is thaw and dole out
the correct portions. I get the 5# chubs of ground chicken necks and mince
mixes. We start on just plain chicken and then move up to the minces. The
puppies were not sure about what exactly that was but soon figured it out and
started digging in. We have one little brindle girl that has been eating with
Belle a couple of times a day and she KNEW exactly what that was and ran right
over and dug in, she is the first to the bowl and the last to leave!! Thursday
they all went outside for the very first time. It was a warm, sunny day and they
seemed to enjoy exploring outside. Hopefully spring will roll in soon so they
can come out and play more often.
Week 4 : The
puppies are really active and very well coordinated now. Thankfully the weather
has been cooperative and if not the driest it has at least been warm and the
pups can go out and play and potty at least. They are using the doggy door like
pros and tumble in and out every time they think it is time to eat!! The
boys all go out and play and the pups love to chase them around too, I like to
sit and cuddle them, nothing like all those warm little puppy bodies all cuddled
up on your lap!
Week 5 : The
pups are all over now! They can really run and play and wrestle. They are eating
all on their own though mommy comes and checks on them and visits. We are now
seeing more and more of their individual personalities and they are all such
lovebugs!
Week 7-9: The
puppies have grown so and look so big. Only one pup will be cropped. The rest
will remain uncropped. They look like they have nice ear sets and I am going to
let them remain 'natural'. I have taped for so long and truly hate that the dogs
see a roll of tape, even years after their ears stand, and take off. So I am
just not going to do it. I love the look of a Great Dane with ears standing
erect but I just don't know if it is all worth while to do all that to get a
look. Some pups have headed out to their new homes and I have gotten pictures
and letters about how they are just what they hoped. It was really hard to let
them leave, esp one that just grabbed my heartstrings when she was so tiny, but
knowing they will/are loved just as much in their new homes makes it all
worthwhile. The pictures of the puppies playing with the children and other dogs
make it all so much easier to let them go - it is not so much as a goodbye as it
is a hello to a new friend and family when the pups go on to their new homes.
On the puppy
front the pups are running through the barrels,up and over anything they can
crawl on, I have one little girl who loves to sleep INSIDE the dog bowls(the big
puppy dishes),I don't think she'll fit for much longer,but until then I keep
taking pictures and call everyone to the kitchen window to come see her. All the
pups love to sleep in the sofa, seem to know exactly which corner is the easiest
to climb up! The corgis keep everyone in line and Pepper just loves wrestling
with them! Hannah being the good Auntie that she is sleeps with the puppies in
the big dog beds, they all seem to gravitate towards her and cuddle all around
her ,and she is so good she just scoots about to get everyone to fit in!
Week 13-15: Wow the pups have really grown! Their personalities are now very
individualized. The pups that have gone on to their new families have settled in
and are doing great. I have to say I am blessed to have so many great families
and feel very secure in that all the pups have wonderful homes. I had 3 pups
remaining until last week and two left within 3 days of one another ,both the
brindle female and brindle male and the fawn male went to his new family today!
The last brindle female will remain with us. I have left her uncropped as is
most the litter. I had worried about not cropping at first but I am really glad
that they are natural earred. They have lovely ear sets and I like the look. It
has been 3 years since I have had a natural earred Dane - I may never go back .
. .
The girl we
have kept looks like her mama, hence her name - Shakira's Carbon Copy - aka CC !
She is a fun pup and has a lovely, outgoing personality. She and her
brother, Shakira's Chevron Dreams aka Baron, have both already been to their
first puppy match and seemed to have a good time. He took his class and Best of
Opposite Sex, CC won her class as well. It was a silly experience taking two 3
mon old pups to a puppy match. CC willing walked on her leash and allowed me to
stack her -somewhat! Her brother sweet boy that he is wasn't so pleased about
walking on the leash, especially in front of strangers! I had to carry him to one
side of the ring and walk back- like we were walking out - and he then walked
nicely! By the third time in the ring he did very well and actually went all the
way around with no help from me! What a proud mama I was!!
I am going to
miss these pups, they were all just so sweet and fun. I know just like with the
other pups that I will get pics and updates from their families. It is good to
know too how very happy their families are with them. It is what makes letting
them go easier.
I am relieved
that all the pups are settled in and that we will not be having more pups until
next year. Time to start training CC, get back to agility with the Corgis and
get the Danes and me back in shape!!
Until next
time. . .
Pregnancy -
"A" litter
week 6:
Annie suddenly has gone from
looking like a regular dog to a double wide dog! Pixie has gained weight but
otherwise just looks a bit more filled out
week 7:
Annie is steadily increasing in
size, her appetite has increased as has Pixie's but neither one is much
interested in breakfast. Xrays scheduled for Friday. Have started both girls on
NR Birth Aid.
week 8:
Took both girls in for Xrays. Pixie has one puppy, she has gained 6 pounds and
now weighs 25 pounds. Annie weighed in at 167pounds, her Xrays showed 10,
possibly 12 puppies. The waiting now begins.
I am taking the
girls temperature twice daily. Annie is due first and then Pixie a couple of
days later.
5/20:
Pixie's temperature has dropped to 98.6 ,she is trying to nest in blankets, I
don't think it will be long. I am surprised, I really thought Annie would go
first.
Pixie delivered a
1# ,red/white female. She was stillborn, I worked for over 40 minutes trying to
revive her, to no avail. Pixie is horribly depressed.
Still taking
Annie's temperature. Not dropping yet.
5/22:
Annie should be due any time, her temperature has still not dropped, so we are
off to the vet to get checked out.
Annie weighed in
at 171 pounds! Her feet are a bit swollen and she spends most of the day laying
on the tile by the front door. We are taking daily walks early in the morning
and again in the evening.
Pixie is still
very depressed, not eating, and just not acting like herself. Talked to the vet
about her helping Annie nurse the pups since we are expecting so many, wish
Annie would hurry up.
Friday,
Saturday, Annie's temperature has not dropped below 99.6, she is NOT nesting,
nor is she acting like she is going to have these babies. I have taken 3 days
off and now tomorrow I have to go back to work .
5/25:.
Finally! Her temperature is 98.4, 4 hours later it is still down. Maybe I'll get
lucky and these babies will get here before I have to go to work.. I stayed with
Annie until 2am,no sign that she is going to have these puppies yet.
Delivery
5/26:
10 am:
Doggone it ! I have to go to work, so my husband ,John, and sons will be home to
deliver puppies. I show them all my whelping supplies, pads of paper to list the
pups and significant info as they are born, time, wt, whether placenta was
delivered, color, and ribbon color. I go through how to revive puppies, do CPR,
clear the airways, and if need be how to help if a pup gets stuck! I cannot
believe this is happening - my first litter of Danes, and I am going to miss it.
I can only console myself with the fact that I know that John is a great nurse
and was with me all the way when we had our boys and he never gets shook up! I
know Annie could not be in better hands.
1:30pm:
Devon just called he says he thinks
Annie is about to have a puppy. While we speak the first puppy is born - a
brindle male 1# 4 oz.. Five minutes later the next puppy arrives , a fawn male ,
1#6 oz
8:07pm:
The ninth puppy is born another male 1# 12 oz. That makes the total 7 males - 4
brindles,3 fawns, 2 females, 1 brindle ,1 fawn. Annie is tired,but doing a great
job mothering her pups. John and the boys have been by her side all day and have
had a great day. John stays with Annie until midnight taking her out for walks
and waiting to see if she will have any more pups. Our ever so wonderful vet who
has been calling several times a day has an appointment for Annie, John and the
pups to come in for an Xray to make sure all pups have been delivered. John said
he finally went to bed at 1am set the alarm for 4am to get up to check on mama
and babies.
Puppies
5/27:
John loads up Annie and babies and
heads to the vet for an Xray. The vet tells John there is one puppy left and
that it is high in the uterine horn yet. They give her a pitocin shot to
stimulate her to contract and hopefully deliver the last pup. It finally arrives
but it is not alive.
John loads
everyone and goes home. He gives Pixie one of the pups to care for ,the vet
suggested to rotate the pups so they all receive antibodies from both mamas.
Pixie is in 7th heaven, thank goodness she is finally eating!
All the puppies
are doing great, Annie is being a wonderful mama, Pixie seems to be herself once
more. I think John is ready for bed early for once!
5/31:
Pixie has decided she has had enough mothering and went outside and started
playing with Lexus, the poodle next door. She had a grand day playing outside -
I guess the post partum depression has passed.
6/6:
The puppies are growing like weeds, they are all getting a bit lighter in color.
Annie is getting very protective and is pacing about when their are extra kids
in the house , we have hauled mom and babies up to my bedroom.
6/9 :
The puppies have all opened their eyes - they are a pale blue color right now.
They are standing and trying to walk, they walk like little drunk sailors -
staggering this way and that way. They are mouthing on one another and a couple
are starting to bark and growl. they are amazingly cute.
6/11:
I can only sit here in amazement at how much these puppies have grown! Annie is
an amazing mama, she keeps the puppies immaculate and is ever so patient.
6/13:
I am off again, I am so ready to see everyone -everyday! I am gathering my
supplies to have them start eating a bit on Monday. The pups are wrestling more
and getting around much more steadily.
6/16:
They ate their first meal today! Goats milk, raw meat mince - they dug right in
and loved it! What a mess - they were slip-sliding all over in the food bowls,
had food all over themselves - Annie fell in love with them all over again when
she got to clean them up - they were tasty!
6/18:
The puppies are eating twice daily, on the edge of the patio so it can be hosed
clean! They then lounge under their doggy canopy ,compliments of dad-John, so
the dogs will have a shady place to lay and have their pool and water bowl - it
is really a carport tarp - I guess now it is a dogport tarp?? Benicio must know
these are his puppies, when Annie gets up to take a break, he lays down nearby
and stands watch. Reeda and Benicio are the only dogs Annie will allow to see
her puppies..
6/20:
I call to the puppies in the same way to eat everyday - today a bunch came
running when I called - were they ever cute! After they eat I sit with them in
the shade, different puppies coming and going sitting in my lap. They get up and
change positions, the little white boy and the red boy are major whiners, they
set to crying over anything, they settle down nicely when I rock them. I have
always carried my Dane puppies until I couldn't pick them up any longer,
figuring that time is so short, with these puppies, they are growing so fast I
first started out with them laying in the palm of my hand, then across two
hands, now they are overflowing onto my arm!
6/23:
Puppies have figured out how to go out the dog door from
their room to the kennel. Most have figured how to go back in as well, but a
couple will wait until another puppy goes through and will go through with them.
Over the weekend they all got extremely brave and went under my husbands old
Corvette - he and all the boys and their friends were called in to get everyone
out and back to the other side of the patio area.
7/9/03:
Internet has been out so this has
fallen WAY behind. The puppies have continued to thrive ,growing like weeds and
just as healthy. They were introduced to their first real meat meal ,chicken
necks and then 1/2 frames. They LOVED them. They continue to eat ground minces
as well as tripe and Annie has them pretty well weaned, she checks them over and
will play with them but that is it.
Their favorite
toys are the big rope tug toys and playing king/queen of the hill on a huge
gravel pile. they run up and down their mini mountain playing and chasing one
another and then they fall asleep and sleep really hard! Reeda and Benicio like
to watch them and will let the puppies crawl all over them, Pixie will jump into
their puppy room and take naps with them.
I can't believe 6
weeks have passed so fast!
7/18/03:
The pups are HUGE! They are so much
fun, I keep thinking that it can't get any better and it just does! The puppies
personalities are all coming out and you can really tell who is who just by who
is doing what. Most have been spoken for and since they have been evaluated I
know where most of them are going and I feel really pleased that I am matching
the right puppy for the right home. I am excited at the prospect of how these
pups will add so much to their new families lives. It comforts me to know how
well loved these guys will be. This has been a great experience for my whole
family and I do believe we'll be looking forward to our next litter possibly
next fall!
9/3/03
Well all the pups are with their
families, now! It was a wonderful experience having the litter and finding them
new homes. I am very pleased with each and every new home. I was very worried
and scared that it would be hard to get these pups in good homes, but it all
worked out. Sending them on planes and letting them go was hard, like seeing one
of my babies leave home. I concentrated on how happy the families were, how
excited they were, telling me about their shopping expeditions to find just the
right bed, toys, collars and etc. We are receiving emails and calls from the
pups owners, telling us how well the pups are doing, how happy they are with
the pups - their health ,vitality and loving natures and it always makes me
smile! Each puppy brought something special with it, a silly sense of humor, a
loving disposition and gave so much to us and these gifts we get back from the
pups new families make letting them go worthwhile.
I sit with all my
dogs and enjoy them, their slobber , their silliness and their love. I am glad
we were able to share it!!
Until next time .
. .
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